6th June - David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Artist – Album: David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Released:  6^th June 1972

Sounds Like: Bowie’s in space

So it was here that the David Bowie story really kicked off. True the Thin White Duke had scored a big hit with Space Oddity three years earlier, but by 1972 Bowie (aka Major Tom) was seen as something of a one-hit wonder, with his third and fourth albums, the rocky The Man Who Sold the World and the sublime Hunky Dory, barely registering on the public’s radar. Here though everything changed.

Here, the man sometimes known as Aladdin Sane drastically reinvented himself, dying his hair strikingly red and donning dramatic sparkly make up and tight jump suits. He opted for the glitzy, pop rock sound most notably practiced by T-Rex, festooned it to a loose narrative about an iconic alien named Ziggy, and invited the world to go mad for it. Which they did. Which is hardly surprising, given the strength of the songs on display: ‘Five Years’, ‘Moonage Daydream’, ‘Starman’, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and ‘Suffragette City’. As glam rock became a worldwide sensation and Ziggy became a global mega star, the public revisited previous albums and were treated to the magisterial wonder of the likes of Life on Mars?

In the years that followed, the artist formerly known as Dave Jay went from strength to strength, releasing a string of impressive, arty records. None, however, could compare to this in terms of both influence and, more importantly, good fun. If you listen to just one glam rock concept album centred on the end of the world and the fate of an extravagant and androgynous alien rock star which singlehandedly changed the face of popular music today, make it this one.

Albumaday... rating: 9/10

1.       Five Years – 4:44

2.       Soul Love – 3:33

3.       Moonage Daydream – 4:35

4.       Starman – 4:13

5.       It Ain’t Easy – 3:00

6.       Lady Stardust – 3:20

7.       Star – 2:50

8.       Hang On to Yourself – 2:40

9.       Ziggy Stardust – 3:13

10.   Suffragette City – 3:25

11.   Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide – 3:00 

Listen to ‘Soul Love’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kx9o1idWrE

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1967: Moby Grape – Moby Grape

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1996: Belle & Sebastien – Tigermilk

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